Amsterdam, Gebroeders van Arum, 1834. 8vo (22.7 x 14.0 cm). 5 pp.; one large, triple-folded engraved plate (14.0 x 36.7 cm) in original hand-colouring. Original printed wrappers.

A rarely seen description and illustration of a phenakistiscope, an invention dating from 1833, i.e., less than a year before this publication. The author is anonymous, indicated by his initials - J. A. - only. However, he provides a thorough description of the apparatus, and how to build one. "The phenakistiscope (also known by the spellings phénakisticope or phenakistoscope) was the first widespread animation device that created a fluent illusion of motion. Dubbed Fantascope and Stroboscopische Scheiben ('stroboscopic discs') by its inventors, it has been known under many other names until the French product name Phénakisticope became common (with alternative spellings). The phenakistiscope is regarded as one of the first forms of moving media entertainment that paved the way for the future motion picture and film industry. ... When it was introduced in the French newspaper Le Figaro in June 1833, the term 'phénakisticope' was explained to be from the root Greek word φενακιστικός phenakistikos (or rather from φενακίζειν phenakizein), meaning "deceiving" or "cheating", and ωψ, meaning 'eye' or 'face', so it was probably intended loosely as 'optical deception' or 'optical illusion'" (Wikipedia). The Dutch name, tooverschijf (now: toverschijf), or "magic disc", almost certainly dates from this publication. Contained in: De Mimersbron. Tijdschrift voor Jongelingen1e Deel., 11 Stuk. [First Volume, 11th Part], with 90 pp. Uncut. Fore edges a bit frayed, otherwise very good - clean, unmarked.